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1981 Chevy C10 Shortbed Scottsdale 5.7l Corvette Tpi Engine And Transmission on 2040-cars

US $8,000.00
Year:1981 Mileage:90000
Location:

Anaheim, California, United States

Anaheim, California, United States
Advertising:

I bought this 1981 Chevy C10 shortbed about 20 years ago. It is the Scottsdale model, which is below the Silverado.   It was a very clean truck with low mileage, about 40k, as I remember.  It had a 305 engine and Turbo 350 transmission.  It ran fine, but lacked power, plus it did not get very good gas mileage, about 14 on the road.  I replaced the engine with a 350 and the transmission with a 700R4, overdrive.  The performance was much better, as was the mpg.

I have never driven the truck very much, other than on trips.  We drove it to Washington to tow back a 55 Tbird I had purchased on e-bay.  Another time to northern CA for a 57 Ford station wagon, that I wound up driving back as U-Haul would not rent me a car trailer for a half ton truck.

A friend of mine had a tow company and about 15 years ago had a wrecked 90 Corvette in his yard.  He sold me the L98 tpi engine and 700r trans out of it.  It had struck a pole backwards, totaling out the rear.  I kept this engine and trans for a couple of years, with the plan of putting it in the truck.  In California, we have a bi-annual smog inspection where we have to get a smog certificate before we can renew our registration every other year for cars newer than 1974.  In the 90’s the legislature passed a law that vehicles over 30 years old would not be required to do the bi-annual smog check.  So, in 2009, after what I thought was the last smog inspection, I changed to engine and transmission to the ones I had taken out of the Corvette using a Painless Wiring kit.  I had to install a high pressure in-line fuel pump and filter and return lines to the tanks.  Unfortunately, CA changed their minds and the law, again required the bi-annual inspection.  The next time my registration came due, I had to go to the California Vehicle Inspection Referee, to show the engine change.  After a couple of trips to the referee, I was given a new smog sticker for the engine change.  This sticker is on the door and shows the car to be smogged as a 1991 Chevy.  I had taken the truck to Turbo City where a custom chip was made for the computer.  I have had the truck smog checked several times since then.

The engine is a stock Corvette 350 c.i. tuned port injection engine with speed density (MAP) sensor.  I freshened it up with new main and rod bearings and timing chain.  I also replaced the stock L98 tpi cam with a roller cam out of a Chevy Ram Jet crate motor.  I did not want to have problems with the computer, nor smog check, and this cam works.  The stock tpi system would run out of air over 4,000 rpm, so I replaced the intake system with Edelbrock siamesed runners and intake manifold.  The plenum was enlarged to match the runners and I bought a 58mm throttle body.

To add a little more power, I installed new roller rockers, 1.6:1 on the intake and 1.5:1 on the exhaust.  I had to buy taller valve covers to clear the roller rockers.  It uses the stock Corvette exhaust manifolds, because of the smog police, but are almost like block hugger headers.  To get the Corvette 700r4 trans to work, I had to find a special tail housing with a transmission mounting boss, as the Corvette uses a large torque tube attaching it to the rear end.

My wife and I take trips to Texas where she looks for antiques.  Each time we went, she would fill whatever car we drove, so I suggested that the next time we went on such a buying trip, we take the truck.  Originally the truck had a canvas tonneau cover that snapped to the sides of the bed, which I still have.  I found a camper shell for the truck.  We have made several trips to Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington with the truck.  The most recent was late last year.  These are the only times that any mileage is put on the truck, which now shows about 88k, which is original as far as I know.  I am confident that the mileage was correct when I bought it.  The truck now gets close to 20 mpg on the highway, if you drive conservatively.

The truck has dual side tanks, holding 16 gallons each.  The dash switch for the tanks works and also changes the gauge to the tank being used.  The truck has power steering, with the Corvette pump and remote reservoir.  It has power disc brakes and air conditioning.  The a/c works fine and still uses R12 gas.  It will leak down some over the winter and I have to top it off before my wife will go anywhere in it.  It does not have power windows, nor power door locks.  It has the original 15x8 Rally wheels.  The front tires are a year old, and the rears are over 10, but still have good tread.

It is an original California truck as it has the old style blue with yellow numbered license plates issued to it when new. The truck has been painted twice for me.  The last time was 2 years ago.  I had the white camper painted the same pewter gray as the truck.  There was a small amount of rust in the rear area behind one of the rear tires, and that was all the rust.  I know that it has not been in an accident since I have had it and I never found any signs of accident damage, and I have been all over this truck many times.

I really had no plans to sell the truck as it works great for my needs, but things change.  I am looking to downsize and instead of having a daily driver and a weekend truck, I want to have just one vehicle.  I would not hesitate to drive this truck anywhere in the US.  It has been a great truck for me.  If no one meets my reserve, I will just keep it.

Please ask any questions you may have, giving me enough time to respond.  Thanks for looking and good luck bidding

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Cheapest SUVs of 2024

Mon, Jan 29 2024

There is no doubt that cost is the number one decision maker when it comes to purchasing a vehicle. As prices continue to climb, affordable choices are getting harder to find, so we dug through what's available to find the least expensive SUVs in the most popular classes.  These prices are current as of January 2024, using available manufacturer suggested retail prices for 2024 models wherever possible. The prices include destination fees, but not dealer markups or incentives. Cheapest small SUV: 2024 Hyundai Venue Not surprisingly, the most affordable SUVs are the smallest. There's a whole host of subcompact SUVs out there, with some of the first introduced being the Nissan Juke, Mini Countryman and Kia Soul. In the beginning, these micro utes were marketed to empty nesters and first-time buyers, but nowadays they represent an alternative to the conventional sedan and have been increasing market share ever since. Profit margins in this class are narrow and popularity is high, which means the entrants are competitively priced. The top choices in the class are only a couple thousand dollars more than the most affordable alternatives below, so it may make sense to consider our favorites that include the Mazda CX-30, Volkswagen Taos and Chevrolet Trax. 2024 Hyundai Venue: $21,135 The Hyundai Venue debuted in 2020 and earned praise for its overall value. You get a ton of features for the money as well as a very generous warranty. Holding it back is its rather weak engine and very tiny proportions. Honorable mentions: 2024 Chevrolet Trax: $21,495 2024 Kia Soul: $21,565 Cheapest midsize SUV: 2024 Chevrolet Equinox Compact SUVs have the broadest appeal thanks to a very diverse group. It seems as though there's a great pick for nearly every taste, whether you're seeking something sporty, rugged or luxurious. They're a great pick for small families with one child and/or a dog. The class is led by vehicles that include the Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-50, which are still within reach of most shoppers' budgets. 2024 Chevrolet Equinox: $27,995 The Equinox debuted back in 2005 and this current third-generation was last redesigned in 2018, though a new one is right around the corner for the 2025 model year. While the current 2024 model may be showing its age, it still deserves your consideration for its comfortable ride quality, confident cornering and roomy passenger space.

Chevy Silverado HD gets the Custom Sport treatment

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The USPS needs 180,000 new delivery vehicles, automakers gearing up to bid

Wed, Feb 18 2015

Winning the New York City Taxi of Tomorrow tender was a huge prize for Nissan, even though the company is still working through the process of claiming its prize. The United States Postal Service has begun the process to take bids for a new delivery vehicle to replace the all-too-familiar Grumman Long Life Vehicle, and that will be a much larger plum for the automaker who wins it, perhaps worth more than six billion dollars. The Grumman LLV is an aluminum body covering a Chevrolet S-10 pickup chassis and General Motors' Iron Duke four-cylinder engine. The USPS bought them from 1987 to 1994, and the 163,000 of them still in service are a monumental drain on postal resources: they get roughly ten miles to the gallon instead of the quoted 16 mpg, drink up more than $530 million in fuel each year, and their constant repair needs like the balky sliding door and leaky windshields have led the service to increase the annual maintenance budget from $100 million to $500 million. A seat belt is about as modern as it gets for safety technology, and the USPS says that assuming things stay the same, it can't afford to run them beyond 2017. Last year it put out two triage requests for proposals seeking 10,000 new chassis and drivetrains for the Grumman and 10,000 new vehicles. The LLV is also too small for the modern mail system in which package delivery is growing and letter delivery is declining. The service says it doesn't have a fixed idea of the ideal "next-generation delivery vehicles," but it listed a number of requirements in its initial request and is open to any proposal. Carriers have some suggestions, though, saying they want better cupholders, sun visors that they can stuff letters behind, a driver's compartment free of slits that can swallow mail, and a backup camera. The request for information sent to automakers pegs the tender at 180,000 vehicles that would cost between $25,000 and $35,000 apiece, and it will hold a conference on February 18 to answer questions about the contract. GM is the only domestic maker to avow an interest, while Ford and Fiat-Chrysler have remained cagey. Yet with a possible $6.3 billion up for grabs and some new vans for sale that would be advertised on every block in the country, we have a feeling everyone will be listening closely come February 18. We also have a feeling the LeMons series is going to be flooded with Grummans come 2017. News Source: Wall Street Journal, Automotive News - sub.